LED indicators question.

[Andrew162]

I tried searching for more info on this to see if anyone here had already done something similar... nothing as far as "indicators" goes, but "The following words are either very common, too long, or too short and were not included in your search: LED".

So I'm guessing someone who works at Jaycar might be able to answer this question.

I tried looking for specs of these 36 LED 1156 indicator units, but came up short on details. Obviously if I fit these into my ride they're going to hyperflash (because of too little load on the flasher can). One option I have is to replace the flasher can with an LED-compatible one like from Narva or similar, and the other option is to leave the flasher can alone and install resistors onto the LED globes instead. This is where the necessary details came up short. I'm unsure of the current draw on these units, but I'm guessing it would be between 250-300mA per globe. I don't know if this is enough info to find out what resistors to install on these globes.

Just trying to find out if anyone here has done anything similar on another ride or something, and how it worked out, etc. I'm just a bit stuck as to which direction to go here.

Cheers for any advice.

[river]

Hi,

I think there was some discussion in this thread.....

http://www.toymods.net/forums/showth...ighlight=bokka

seeyuzz
river

[Andrew162]

Cheers for the info there river, although it goes into much more detail than I was expecting. I was surprised to find out that these LED's are supposedly "illegal" because they're readily available as an add-on item for ANY truck (with the square indicator/stop lamp pattern), and they don't have to be made as part of the vehicle's roadworthy compliance either. BMW's, Range Rover's, etc. might be an exception because they're ADR'd with the car. Hence I really can't see the reason for them being an illegality - they're brighter, last shitloads longer than filament globes, and have far less demand on the car's electrical system. surely if they were put into the stock indicator housings of an ageing car then it wouldn't be a madly noticeable as it would with someone's car that had the clear-type indicator/taillight assemblies, and the mirror-refractiveness of the LED's?

I noticed LED flasher cans weren't discussed in that thread. Was this just not part of the equation, or did they not exist back then? It was only early Dec last year...

http://i20.ebayimg.com/04/i/08/95/b8/24_1.JPG

that's actually the exact globe that I was looking to make as the indicator LED's and reversing lights (same 1156 bayonet fitting). I take it that these globe assy's have resistors in them, in order to be powered from a 12V source and 36 LED's to light-up. would a 555 timer or an astable oscillator circuit be warranted here?

[oldcorollas]

viewing angle.

normal globes work in reflector housings cos the globe emits light 360deg (ish) and is reflected out.

LED only has 15-30deg viewing angle (usually for the higher power ones) and require special housings to be visible.

changing a bayonet globe for a bayonet LED arrangement is a bit silly (ie, reduce the visibility of the light)

[Andrew162]

hmmm, I guess that's why this unit has 36 LED's.

[Sam_Q]

I took my flasher can apart and fitted a different capicitor, cost me about $0.20 i think, not bad eh?

[oldcorollas]

hmmm, I guess that's why this unit has 36 LED's.

yah, but still doesn't help the issue so much.. if you look at the LED tailights, they have steeply angled cones to reflect the light from the small viewing angle... to give similar effect as normal lights..

if the LED's are 20ma, that makes 720ma total...

http://www.superbrightleds.com/carbulb-notes.htm

easiest and least messing is to buy LED capable flasher can.

nice one Sam

[Andrew162]

I took my flasher can apart and fitted a different capicitor, cost me about $0.20 i think, not bad eh?

do you remember what value (micro-Farad) cap you used? maybe a link to a similar one?

[mrshin]

Current draw... well take a look at the wattage of the globes, divide that by the operating voltage, and you should have a rough idea. So, say a 23w globe at 12 volts, that comes close to 2 amps (a bit less at 14 volts, but you get the idea...) Stick in a suitable resistor to do that job. Also remember to include all three (four including dash) globes...

However, it does seem awfully wasteful and messy to do it that way, so I suggest you stick to the other suggested ideas!

[river]

Hi,

'Cos I frig around with electronics, I'd make my own flasher with a 555-timer.

I wouldn't LED-up the RA25, but I'd certainly try it on the AE71.

seeyuzz
river

[Andrew162]

go on river, you can do it! the AE71 could use the LED's and they're getting cheaper all the time, especially if you get them from ebay like I have.

[river]

Hi,

Well a simple 555 circuit would be more than enough. However, I am known to sometimes over engineer things.

I wonder if I could use one of my old AIM65 systems (see pic) to provide me with a powerful and programmable LED flashing unit.



Do you think that would be overkill?

seeyuzz
river

[mike1980ra40]

no over kill at all me thinks, add a few more rows of led's and you can type out a message to that pratt tail gaiting ya

[Andrew162]

nah, not at all river! btw, is that a sturdy old Rockwell chipset as well, or just a Rockwell display?

[river]

Hi,

No, it's a full Rockwell system, using the Rockwell R6502-family of chips.

I'm currently expanding it and taking pics to show you young fellas the ancient art of wire-wrapping.

I think that when finished it will be more than capable of flashing a few LEDS, run a window display for telling off dunderclumps and even a car alarm, with enough capacity to hold a single short MP3 song!

However, I think, when I get the time, I'll buy a few LED globes and hook up a small 555 circuit to prove it can be done cheaply and effectively - and it will be able to run your LED flashes/indicators easily.

seeyuzz
river